Nurses walked around the Mayo’s Mankato facility for 12 hours to let patients know they’re worried that staffing levels have put them at risk.
… Read more about: Mankato nurses take to the streets for patients »
Back in 2008, a lot of working folks planning for retirement saw their savings dwindle. Some saw their net worth spiral downward pretty quickly. For example, someone who had to invest in a 401(k) retirement fund opened statements to see that a savings of $10,000 had dwindled to $7,000. Those that could wait have been riding out their disappointment (as well as not opening their retirement savings notices anymore). Only now, five years later, are they starting to see their nest egg return to its pre-recession figures. Of course, anyone who needed to retire in 2008 had to cash out for pennies on the dollar.
… Read more about: Nurses are protecting their pensions »
For the second time this month, financial experts are predicting a tough year ahead for the non-profit hospital industry. First, Standard & Poor’s rating services analyst said profit ratios will be down in 2013 (link here) Now, Moody’s Investors Service is saying expenses outpaced revenue last year as patient revenue slipped by half a percent (found here). What’s more, both reports say that efficiencies in hospital business were actualized last year and won’t produce any more savings in the future. In other words, hospitals got lean and can’t get leaner.
Add to that the paralyzing fear many hospital CEOs are feeling over the effects of the Affordable Care Act, reduced payments from many insurance companies (such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield), and reduced government dollars for patients who are readmitted.
… Read more about: Hospitals bleeding money? »
Ok, in a few short weeks, Minnesotans and Wisconites will have an answer to the question of which state has the better football team, but the debate over which state has a better jobs and overall business climate is already ongoing.
Credit Minnesota representative Joe Atkins with trying to answer this question definitively. Atkins said the discussion has contained far too much exaggeration on both sides of the border, and he convened a hearing of the House Commerce and Consumer Protection, Finance, and Policy Committee.
The facts are, Minnesota’s jobless rate is 5.3 percent, Wisconsin’s is 7.1 percent (source).
… Read more about: Minnesota vs. Wisconsin: who’s winning the jobs battle? »
Congressman Keith Ellison invites you to a meeting to discuss the Affordable Care Act
THE NEW FEDERAL HEALTH CARE LAW:
HOW IT WILL AFFECT YOU
Learn how the Affordable Care Act may affect you and your family, how to navigate the Minnesota Health Insurance Exchange and benefit from the new law. Congressman Ellison will be joined by MNsure & Rep. Debra Hilstrom
Wednesday – September 4, 2013
6:00 – 8:00 PM
Brooklyn Center High School
6500 Humboldt Avenue North, Brooklyn Center, MN 55430
If you have any questions about this event, please call (612) 522-1212.
… Read more about: Affordable Care Act Forum »
Minnesota nurses are staffing the State Fair again to speak to the same people they care for every day. Patients in Minnesota are at risk, and their safety stands to improve if they’re know how their hospitals are measuring up. Thanks to the work nurses did during the last legislative session, consumers will have more information before deciding where to go for care, and, once they access that, they’ll see the real situation of safety in hospitals.
Nurses are reminding fairgoers that they already have a website where they can check hospital quality for a number of different outcomes.
… Read more about: Minnesota State Fair: Safety on a stick »
Hospitals are bending over backward to increase their patient satisfaction scores, and, especially now, as it may affect their ability to bill patients. Hospitals are adding room service, suites, and even “care guides” to help patients meet health and recovery goals.
The answer to patient satisfaction isn’t a new piano in the lobby, it’s right inside each patient’s room. It’s the nurse. Nurses say they’re often asked, “can you just sit with me a while?” by a patient. Or the patient will even ask a nurse who’s charting if he or she can just turn around and face them while they have to also look at the computer.
… Read more about: Patient satisfaction is easy. Talk to a nurse. »
Bravo to Theresa Brown, RN, for writing an eye-opening Op-Ed, exposing the dangers faced by patients when not enough nurses are on duty. The New York Times published her opinion on Sun., Aug. 18, which puts this issue front and center, where it should be. Read the OpEd here.
We encourage you to read the entire piece, along with the Comments Section AND participate in the online discussion.
Brown mentions only one piece of legislation being considered by Congress to address the issue of poor staffing levels, but it is important to know that efforts are being led by nursing communities (including National Nurses United) to advance other bills on the federal and state levels as well.
… Read more about: When No One is On Call »
A new exercise product came out this week. The Garmin bicycle pedal actually measures the force of each foot as a rider pedals his/her bicycle and relays power, speed, distance, and even calories burned to a computer unit on the handlebars or an enabled smartphone. The pedal will retail for about $1700 and connect the user to other people in the network, such as coaches, teammates, or competitive friends who can also monitor the workout.
It’s a continuation of a trend of more products coming out that can monitor a person’s health remotely and send the data back to someone else, such as this one made by Cardiocare that allows a patient can step onto a scale and have readings relayed to Essentia St.
… Read more about: Technology is only as good as the nurse behind it »
MNA nurses march on the boss at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center.
… Read more about: Bemidji Nurses March on the Boss »